Red Bull confirmed on Monday night that the Australian driver Daniel Ricciardo
will take the place of his compatriot Mark Webber and partner Sebastian
Vettel at the world champion team next season.

Ricciardo, 24, a junior Red Bull driver who races for their sister team Toro Rosso, was widely expected to be named as Webber’s replacement – not least because Webber himself said that would be the case in Spa two weekends ago.

But if the announcement was unsurprising, the timing of it was a little strange, coming as it did in the middle of football’s transfer deadline frenzy and with half of the Formula One paddock at the world première of the new Ron Howard film Rush in Leicester Square.

Perhaps Red Bull did not want the publicity. The Austrian-backed team have been criticised in some quarters for being too conservative with their choice. Ricciardo, a relative novice, is not expected to push Vettel as hard as a seasoned campaigner such as Kimi Raikkonen, who was also linked with the seat. However, the team can justifiably respond that in promoting a driver from their academy they are giving youth a chance.

In a team statement, Red Bull team principal Christian Horner argued that Ricciardo’s results in Formula 3 and Renault World Series proved that he was a race winner, while chief technical officer Adrian Newey said that he was reminded of a similar choice he faced at Williams in the early 1990s.

“We could stick with Riccardo Patrese or take a punt on a young driver called Damon Hill who was our test driver at the time,” Newey said. “I think it’s good to bring young blood in and give promising drivers a chance.”

Ricciardo, who has signed a “multi-year agreement”, conceded that he would have to hit the ground running in 2014. “Next year I’ll be with a championship-winning team, arguably the best team, and will be expected to deliver,” he said. “I’m ready for that. I’m not here to run around in tenth place.”

The man from Perth, Western Australia, told Telegraph Sport last weekend that he was not scared of going up against Vettel, or concerned by suggestions that the German would be afforded preferential treatment. “From what I hear the team is very much interested in equality. I am definitely aware that if I do get the opportunity to race alongside [Vettel], it is not going to be easy. But I would love to get the opportunity to prove to everyone that I have what it takes – and more than that, to know for myself that I can mix it with the big guys.

“If I can’t, well, at least I can say I tried. But I believe I can.” With Ricciardo now confirmed, and Jenson Button about to commit to a new deal at McLaren, only Ferrari’s second seat remains a source of serious speculation among the major teams. Raikkonen, the 2007 world champion, has been linked with what would be a sensational return to Maranello to partner Fernando Alonso but it is far more likely that the Finn will stay with Lotus and that the Italian team opt to give Felipe Massa another year or promote a youngster such as Sauber’s Nico Hulkenberg.

Meanwhile, English GP2 driver James Calado has been named Force India reserve. He will be handed his first chance to impress in practice at this weekend’s Italian Grand Prix and will fulfil the same role at this season’s remaining races.